The Washington critic., 1887-11-07
TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Club, destroyed by fire the other day,
was the card room, says the New York
Herald, the most elaborate and highly
decorated of any card room of any
club In this country. The roof was
frescoed with representations OF good
hands"-four aces, four kings, and so
on. History relates that one old gen.
tleman who had come to Chicago In
1S40 fell asleep on sofa. He was
what they call out there "a rattler" at
poker, but very unlucky. Above him
was the frescoed image of the four
aces. Awaking with start, he looked
up, mournful smile fitted across his
face, and, with murmur, "Its all
RI; takes the num-" he sank quietly
into slumber again.
-.
William L. Marcy, Secretary OF State
during the Administration of President
Pierce, had a dry humor In which he
often indulged, says the Youths Com.
panion, though he seldom laughed. A
lawyer of Richmond, Va, Mr.. r. G..
Scott, applied for the Consulship at
Rio de Janeiro. The place had been
promised him, but the nomination was
delayed so long that MIR. Scott, becom-
ing impatient, visited Washington to
see what caused his appointment to
chang fire." Calling on Mr.. Marcy,
he frankly said that he was embar.
Iassed by the uncertainty and tired of
the delay, and wished to be plainly
told what he might expect. "Mr.
Scott" said the Secretary, In dry,
hard tone, "for every bough of the top
Of the tree Of appointments-for the
mission plenipotentiary, for example
there are about 100 applicants; for the
middle boughs, the secretaries Of lega.
iion, there are about 800 applicants;
and for the lower limbs of the
consulshIps there are about one
thousand applicants. Those hold.
ing on to the upper boughs ex.
pect II they fail to catch upon the
boughs of the secretaries; and those
disappointed in obtaining them hope
to catch on the limbs of consulships.
For the place of plenipoten,iary but
and the ninety and nine failing upon
the next boughs increase the number
OF applicants to 800. For the latter but
one can be appointed, and thus 39S fall
upon the consulships, increasing the
number of applicants to 1903. The
chance for consulship Is one In 1893.
You can, therefore, calculate your
chances for the consulship at Rio.
Then, sir" answered the aston
ished and dlsmsyed Scott, 81
may as we'll go home to my
clients and quit the business of Office
begging" and he rose to his feet
"But, Mr.. Scott" resumed Mr.. Marcy,
motloning to him to resume his seat,
81 have advised the President that the
failure to obtain the higher office
should not give lien on the lower
offices; thus your chance will remain
as one In thousand only for consul
ship" "Well, that chance is moi
worth waiting for, and will go home
said Scott. When you do" answered
the Secretary, with twinkle In his
eyes, "go and prepare for your passage
to Rio. for your appointment Is already
determined upon" Then the Secre
tary's fat sides shook with enjoymen
at SCOTS joyful surprise.
~
Says Macfarland In the Philadelphii
Record: "That cruel story that Secre
tary Bayard is engaged to be married
started within eight months Of hi
wife's death, denied at the time, re
vived and denied again, is once NOR,
carrent. 1t is as false as 1t is cruel.
say cruel advisedly, and nobody who
knows the strength and steadfastaes'
OF Bayard's affections and the sacred
ness of his home relations could So,
anything else In characterizing 1t
Bayard's devotion to his wife was a
old fashioned as his devotion to hi
ideas-and Of the same high quality
Her death only deepened 1t. eth
the stranger intermeddleth not there
with" but even a stranger ca'
catch glimpses of sacrcC
SORROW, no matter how bravely II ma
be concealed. 1t does seem as thougl
the idle busybodies who first started thi
unkind and unjust report might easil
have satisfied themselves that Bayard
character did not warrant 1t. But sucl
gossip never waits for truth. The fac
Is that Secretary Bayard scarce
knows the lady whose name has bee
thus unwarrantedly linked with his
probably never exchanged ten word
with her In his life, and, although she
In the Department of which he is head
he does not, as happen to know, knoy
what office she is In. In short. the ra
port has not got even the poor foundat
tion of fact which au acquaintance be
tween the man aud the woman men
TONED would afford 1t isa lie.
80
Judge John j. Usher of Lawrence
Kas., was In New York last week, say
the Grdphic, and the brawny old gen
tleman strolled through the up tow
resorts with very few to recognize hi
fine antique face and well-kcpt figure
How many who saw him remembere
and how could they in this busy az
of ours-that nearly quarter of
century ago the white haired Kausa
lawyer was member of Abraham
Lincoln's Cabinet and man of col
trolling influence in Western politics